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On Study Groups
The early leaders of the Urantia movement were asked to form thousands of study groups. Perhaps this was because the study group environment is considered to be the most effective place for The Urantia Book teachings to take root in the hearts and minds of the participants while developing a social bonding of friendship among readers. Ideally, participation in study groups allows a natural growth of understanding to develop in a friendly, family style atmosphere. Study group hosts embark on a journey that is filled with many rewards as well as some difficulties. Many study groups flounder while others thrive. Successful study group hosts have found that the basic keys to success are consistency, dedication, patience, understanding, love, and effort. This brochure is designed to assist readers who are Urantia Book study group hosts or would like to become a study group host. It is a significant decision to make a commitment to lead a study group as you must be prepared to share these papers, that are so near and dear to your heart, with people you hardly know. URANTIA Foundation does not have a set of guidelines for the formation or conduct of a study group. However, we can share what we have learned from fellow readers who have participated in various types of study groups. Over time, each group develops its own character and particular style of studying the Book, one that best fits the collective needs of each of its members. If you are interested in having your group listed in the Foundation's database so that it can be referred to new readers in your area, you may call the Foundation to request a study group referral form. For the Foundation to refer readers to your study group, we ask only that the groups be nonpolitical and focus their study only on The URANTIA Book. Suggestions for Beginning Your Study Group 1. Establish a consistent day, time and location for the study group. It is important to decide on a dependable schedule so the members can easily reserve time for the meeting. 2. Provide a comfortable place to gather with good lighting. Coffee, tea and light refreshments add a friendly atmosphere. 3. Do not be easily discouraged: Groups ebb and flow as time goes by, but if a place to gather is consistently provided, people do respond. Although the Foundation can help by referring new readers to a group, many groups grow through word-of-mouth referrals in their area.
Leadership
One does not need complete mastery of the book to lead a group. It is helpful for someone in the group to have read the entire book at least once. A leader does not need to be an expert on the book. The trick is to be a good facilitator of the group process as they discover truth among themselves. No individual can know all the answers. Each person should be encouraged to share his or her opinions and experiences in the discovery process. Readers are often anxious to jump in and help with the discovery process, and this is what makes a good group. Every member should have the opportunity to speak and share opinions. A person who exerts too much control over the group can become a problem for others. Study of the book is a shared adventure, not a class lecture. Discovery in a study group setting is a team effort.
Not having read the entire book should not discourage new readers who are starting a group, but lack an experienced leader. Many groups start with all new readers and thrive. Newer readers may want to establish contact with other study groups to discuss difficult matters because it helps to explore as many viewpoints as possible when seeking the truth. There is no single or authorized view of the teachings. Neither is there any single or authorized way to study the Book. Most study groups read a paper during the meetings, stopping to discuss points of confusion or interest. Some groups read the papers consecutively; some choose a paper at random. Others study topics. While it is certainly in our best interest to come together as a group to study and perform tasks, we must also be aware that there is no advantage to achieving consistent philosophical uniformity. It is diversity of viewpoint and experience that makes a study group so interesting and challenging. Study groups can facilitate growth and socialization, but they may also present new and surprising conflicts in interpretations of the message of the book. Members of the group are presented with new and unexpected growth opportunities as they learn together. Conflict is not necessarily negative. Resolving conflicts and turning them into higher meanings and values is a skill that can be gained through effort, patience and kindness.
There are many references in The URANTIA Book that can help with your task, and all members of your group can benefit from them. Some of these quotes are referenced at the end of this brochure. Making Contact With Potential Group Members URANTIA Foundation keeps a database of readers who are interested in making contact with other readers. You may contact the office for information on your area. Personal friends and acquaintances interested in the book usually fit easily within a study group. Referrals from other members of your group can work as well. A note of caution: if you are a single female hosting meetings in your home, you may want to meet referrals in a public place before inviting them into your home. We urge you to use all your powers of discretion and knowledge of safety matters in considering how you will handle such situations. Setting Up A Time And Place For Meetings An essential ingredient for success appears to be a core group of readers who are committed to meeting at a routine time and place, thereby giving the group consistency and coherence. If meetings change place, day, or time frequently, you may see a drop in participation because members will find it difficult to remember and plan for the meeting. If consistency is not an option, a calendar of the meetings can be of help in keeping things on track. You should also set a time for beginning and ending your group. Providing Comfortable Surroundings Meetings are usually held in the host's home, but libraries or community centers sometimes provide meeting rooms for the public. The meeting place should be comfortable with good lighting for reading. It's a good idea to have everyone seated so that they can see one another. A table can be helpful for writing notes and spreading out materials. It is a good idea (but not essential) to have The Urantia Book Concordance (or a computer with the electronic version of The Urantia Book installed,) a dictionary, a Bible, a Key Word Index, and a Pronunciation Guide available for reference purposes. It may also prove helpful to have additional copies of The Urantia Book for new comers who may not own one. Balancing Study And Socializing It is helpful to strike a balance between socializing and study in meetings. Except for celebrations, potluck dinners, and gatherings for purely social reasons, you may wish to guide how the group time is spent. Generally speaking, groups spend more time on study than socialization in regular meetings. Some groups begin or end with a brief prayer or a moment of silence, but this should be a group decision. Some groups rotate bringing dessert for a social period following the meeting. Others have snacks available during the meeting. We hope this information has been helpful and we wish you well in your study group. Please do not hesitate to call us if we may be of further assistance. References in The Urantia Book that may be of some help are:
By John Ploetz, California, USA (from IUA Journal, June 1997) Have you ever wished you had been alive in Jesus' time, to walk Galilee with him? If only we could have seen Abraham with Melchizedek, or labored with Van to prepare the Garden, what opportunities we would have had to grow our faith and to be of service! Unlike most people who have ever lived, we are alive in a time of epochal revelation. The chances to be of service to this revelation are almost unlimited, but we must prepare ourselves. In my opinion, there is no more important task at this stage than the development of leaders and teachers motivated by love and the desire to serve. We must know the book (the facts) and teach the book (the meanings) so that we can live the teachings of the book (the values). The living laboratory from which teachers naturally emerge is the local study group. Here the in-depth study of difficult material can be attempted in a supportive family of other readers. Not all groups that will arise around The URANTIA Book are study groups. It may be easier to create a religion about the book or to tell others that they ought to read it. But to get beyond the trifles of living"(1206:2) we really have no choice. Mark Twain said, "The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." We have been given this most amazing book; the least we can do is to study it. A group helps in this greatly. A number of people lament that there is no study group in their area. I would suggest to these people that they are the study group. Our unseen friends hover over the worlds [379:4] waiting only for our commitment to action. Once you set aside a regular time for your "study group," even if there are only one or two of you, you will receive help from unexpected sources. It is the regularity and the habit that bring results. "If you build it, they will come." With some 400,000 copies of The URANTIA Book abroad in the world, there are more readers than you may think. We met another reader who lived on our street. He was getting his mail from the postman and saw an envelope from URANTIA Foundation with the three circles on it. He asked the postman for it, thinking it was for him. When told that it was actually for us, he came over and introduced himself and began to attend our group. You may not be as "isolated" as you think! We have to cast down our buckets where we are. The Foundation can provide referrals, and some readers have found success with a discreet advertisement in the classifieds (e.g.-"Study group forming for readers of The URANTIA Book, 555-1234"). I wouldn't advise promoting the Book or seeking to attract people who have never heard of it as an effective way to build a solid study group. Remember that quality is more important than quantity, and that it is the regularity of the meeting that brings results. Group cohesion will avoid many of the problems of individuals being disruptive, argumentative, or simply talking too much. Our study group has evolved some simple rules over the years, and they are easily explained, ahead of time and cordially, to someone inquiring by phone: We study only The URANTIA Book in our group-nothing else. While we strongly support URANTIA Foundation, we don't discuss the politics of the movement in our group. Since we all have jobs to go to in the morning, we need to meet our goal of reading aloud one paper each night we meet for study group. We encourage discussion, but not speeches. --- Don't be afraid to have some ground rules. Having group support for them ahead of time will head off most problems. Our study group has been meeting for about seven years, and my wife and I consider it the highlight of our week. We read through the book sequentially, one Paper a week. When we finish, we start over. We've read the entire book once, and are now reading the Jesus Papers having nearly finished our second reading. It takes about four years to read through the book once, but we don't miss anything and we can't avoid the "hard parts." In a group, you will find that your "hard parts" may be someone else's "easy parts." Once each month, we participate in a Sunday potluck supper open to all readers in our county. This meeting moves to different homes on a regular schedule and affords a more relaxed social hour followed by a topical discussion. New readers are welcome, and people with differing points of view regarding the book mix easily. The URANTIA Book makes many references to group wisdom and the need to be exposed to the diverse interpretations of other and diverse mortals as an antidote to a selfish and unsocial religion (1130:2). Our study groups are a source of lasting friendships and refreshing insights. Regular group study cannot help but bring benefits, including a real understanding of Jesus, who said, "…where two or three believers are gathered together, there am I in the midst of them."(1763:0) The Urantia Book speaks to each individual differently. The experience of discussing The Urantia Book with other readers can be very beneficial for those who wish to explore diverse viewpoints and socialize with others seeking spiritual insights. Participation in an informal group is an excellent means to facilitate the study and understanding of the material, and blend the teachings into everyday life experiences. It also provides an excellent opportunity to develop skills as students, teachers, and leaders. There are no set guidelines nor a specific way for forming or conducting study groups. Some groups meet weekly, others biweekly, still other monthly. They meet a various times of the day depending upon the schedules and lifestyles of the members. Some limit their reading time to an hour, others may spend a whole day reading, discussing, and socializing. Many read and discuss the book sequentially from page 1 to 2096, often one paper per meeting. Others prefer topical studies in which a specific topic is researched and discussed over one or more study group periods. Generally, the members read aloud in turn, discuss the material, share their insights and relevant experiences, and then have a friendly social period, oftentimes with refreshments. Two rules that seems to work well are (1) a question may be ask at anytime and (2) there are no inappropriate questions. Over time, each group develops its own character and a style of studying the book that best fits the needs of its members. It appears that an essential ingredient for a successful study group is a core reader or group of readers who commit themselves to meeting at a routine time and place thereby giving the group stability, consistency and coherence. Such a routine also provides the occasional visitor or new reader with a reliable schedule.
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